Zach Cregger, acclaimed director of the horror film Barbarian and a member of the comedy troupe The Whitest Kids You Know, is helming a Resident Evil reboot.
The Hollywood Reporter reports a fierce bidding war is underway for distribution rights to Cregger's adaptation of Capcom's iconic survival horror franchise. Cregger will write and direct the reboot. THR names Netflix and Warner Bros. among the four studios vying for the project.
Cregger's 2022 film Barbarian, about a woman who discovers a terrifying secret in her rental house, propelled him to prominence. He's completed his next film, Weapons, which reportedly has tested exceptionally well with audiences.
Read our Barbarian review here.
This marks the second cinematic Resident Evil reboot. Paul W.S. Anderson directed a six-film series starring Milla Jovovich, which, despite liberties taken with the source material, generated $1.2 billion globally. A 2021 reboot, Welcome to Raccoon City, directed by Johannes Roberts, aimed for greater game fidelity but fell short of the games' quality.
Constantin Film, alongside PlayStation Productions, will produce Cregger's reboot. Established in 2019, Sony's PlayStation Productions adapts its game properties for film and television, including Uncharted (starring Tom Holland), Gran Turismo, the The Last of Us TV series, and Twisted Metal.
Future PlayStation Productions projects encompass Until Dawn, Days Gone, Ghost of Tsushima, Gravity Rush, Helldivers, Horizon Zero Dawn, and an Uncharted sequel. A God of War TV series and a recently announced Ghost of Tsushima anime series are also in development.
